Chuck Sweeny: Sheriff Meyers looks back on 46-year career

I’ve known for a couple weeks now that Dick Meyers would retire from his job as the “shire reeve,” or sheriff, as we say it today, of Winnebago County. On Monday, the county’s top cop since 1997 made it official: He’ll step down, but not just yet.

I’ve known for a couple weeks now that Dick Meyers would retire from his job as the “shire reeve,” or sheriff, as we say it today, of Winnebago County. On Monday, the county’s top cop since 1997 made it official: He’ll step down, but not just yet.

Meyers quashed a rumor that he planned to resign now and install his replacement from within the department’s ranks. That, after all, was the tradition in this county. Not this time, said Meyers, 67. He’ll serve out his term, which concludes near the end of 2014.

“I’ll still be sitting at this desk until the last minute of the last hour of the last day of this term, and when it’s midnight I’ll give the keys to somebody else,” Meyers said emphatically.

We talked Monday on the 46th anniversary of the start of Meyers’ career with the Sheriff’s Department. After leaving the Navy, Meyers got a job as a corrections officer in the old jail on Elm Street. It was Sept. 16, 1967.

He rose quickly through the ranks to patrolman, detective sergeant and lieutenant.

“Sheriff Paul Bengston called me in one day and said some people in North Park were starting a village called Machesney Park, and they were interested in contracting out law enforcement. I developed the first contract the village had — it’s basically the same as the one they still have except for cost and manpower,” Meyers said.

From there, Meyers became administrative captain, and when Don Gasparini was appointed sheriff in 1980, Meyers became his chief deputy, responsible for the day-to-day operation of the department.

When Gasparini retired in June 1997, “I was appointed sheriff,” Meyers said.

He ran for the job in 1998 and won. He’s been winning ever since. Had he run in 2014 he very likely would have won a fifth term.

We talked about the state of law enforcement in the city and county. I asked him if there’s a rift.

“We get along extremely well — we work well with the Rockford Police. One of the mistakes they made, though, is when they brought in the alternative drug program, which led to the demise of the Metro Narcotics Unit. That was a mistake,” he said.

“What we’re looking at now is a violent crime task force, which could be a good thing, but there has to be a real commitment to that. The city is pushing a written agreement, and that’s fine, but to me it’s a sad day when we need a written agreement among law enforcement agencies.”

Meyers continued: “We have squad cars in the city all the time, our special focus unit on weekends, our squads patrol the borders of city. We bend over backwards (to help Rockford). You don’t have to ask permission, just go. That’s what agencies should be doing.”

Page 2 of 2 - A lot has changed in police work during the 46 years Meyers has worn a badge.

“We used to have four channels on the radios. Now we have 150 channels and computers. I used to have to go down to the jail and look up a mug shot. Now, deputies can call that up on their screens.”

But the bigger difference between then and now is “a lack of respect for authority, a lack of respect for life in general. There used to be fights now and then, but very seldom would we pick up a gun in a car. Today, someone gets bent out of shape because someone else looked at their girlfriend, so they start shooting,” Meyers said.

“In the old days, the most powerful weapon you had was your ability to communicate with people, and now you can get in fisticuffs over a traffic stop.”

Meyers had this advice for the next sheriff: Don’t fix what’s not broken.

As Meyers looked back on his long career, he said he had put his heart and soul and 100 percent of his effort into it.

“What an honor to have the voters say they want you to represent them in the business of law enforcement.”

Starting in 2015, Meyers, who is in good health, plans to “do a lot of stuff around the house, which will take six months. I don’t remember the last time I went on vacation. If there’s a way I can serve the new sheriff as a volunteer, I’d love to take that on. If not, I’ll just go fishing.”

So far there is one declared candidate for sheriff in 2014, Republican Gary Caruana.